Nerlens Noel's injury history clouds the 2013 NBA Draft

June 22, 2013|By Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel

Nerlens Noel dominated games during his first few months playing for the University of Kentucky. Although he stands almost 7 feet tall in sneakers, he sprinted up and down the court with the speed of a nimble point guard. He blocked almost 4.5 shots per game. He grabbed rebounds in bunches.

He seemed like a sure bet to become the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.

That perception changed on Feb. 12. That night, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee — the same knee in which he fractured a growth plate during his sophomore year of high school.

Now, with the draft looming on Thursday, NBA general managers are trying to decide whether Noel's injury history makes him too risky to be selected first overall.

"With modern medicine, I definitely feel like I can come back stronger," Noel said. "Just being who I am and working as hard as I do, I definitely feel that I'll be able to deaden all those risk rumors and just be the player I'm expected to be, if not better."

The Cleveland Cavaliers hold the first pick, but rumors abound that they'll pass on Noel and instead choose another center, Alex Len from the Ukraine and the University of Maryland.

The Orlando Magic own the second pick, and team's front office has researched Noel's injury history thoroughly, perhaps consulting with more than three different doctors.

Noel visited the Magic in Orlando earlier this month.

Magic officials will not say what they have concluded. But they are aware that Noel's surgeon, James Andrews, the same surgeon who operated on football stars Adrian Peterson and Robert Griffin III, has said publicly that Noel is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation.

John Calipari, who coached Noel at Kentucky, said teams would be making a gargantuan mistake if they pass on Noel.

"How many 7-footers who block shots do you really have in that league?" Calipari said in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel. "How many? You just don't. So, if you pass on this, you're hoping and praying he doesn't make it, because it's a talent league.

"The teams that are winning championships have talented players that are good people and who are driven and self-motivated. This is the most talented player with the most upside in the draft. He is it."

Whichever team drafts Noel will have to regard him as a long-term investment, because it appears that Noel won't be ready to play until January at the earliest.

"I'm definitely anxious to get back and play, and I want to get on the court as soon as possible," Noel said. "But having longevity and being in the NBA for as long as I can is definitely a priority as well. But I definitely want to get back on the court and contribute to winning efforts for whatever team I get drafted to."

Noel turned 19 years old in April, and, injury issues aside, he has a ways to go before he becomes a complete player.

His offensive game is raw, although Calipari stresses that Noel made substantial improvements once he arrived on the Kentucky campus last August.

Noel weighed 206 pounds during last month's NBA Draft Combine, and his lack of bulk alarmed some scouts. But Calipari noted that Noel's medical team wanted Noel to lose some weight to help his rehabilitation. Noel now weighs around 220 pounds.

Since his surgery, Noel has worked to rehabilitate his knee in Birmingham, Ala.

"The day I heard what the injury was, being a torn ACL, that was the only day I would feel bad for myself," Noel said. "And every day since then, I've seen it as a challenge. And every day, I've been tackling it and putting 110 percent effort into my rehab."

jbrobbins@tribune.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.